Facing the Animal Toward the Qiblah at the Time of Slaughter
Written by: Imran Ayub Lahori
Statement of Imam al-Shawkani
Imam al-Shawkani رحمه الله said:
There is no clear evidence for the requirement of facing the animal toward the Qiblah at the time of slaughter.
[Al-Sayl al-Jarrār: 4/69]
Evidence Cited by Some Scholars
Some scholars deduce this practice from a narration in which Jābir رضي الله عنه reported:
On the day of Eid al-Adha, the Prophet ﷺ slaughtered two horned, white-with-black-spots, castrated rams. When he had turned them toward the Qiblah, he recited:
وجهت وجهى للذى فطر السموات…
Then he slaughtered them.
[Weak: Daʿīf Abu Dawud 597, Book of Sacrifices, Chapter: What is Recommended Regarding Sacrifices; Abu Dawud 2795]
Although Shaykh al-Albani رحمه الله graded this narration as weak, it is considered to have reached the level of ḥasan by some scholars.
